The

national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and national symbol, symbolizes a given nation. It is Fly (flag), flown by the government of that nation, but can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanin ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

is a blue disc depicting a starry sky (which includes the

Southern Cross CRUX is a lightweight x86-64 Linux distribution targeted at experienced Linux users and delivered by a tar.gz-based package system with BSD-style initscripts. It is not based on any other Linux distribution. It also utilizes a ports system to ...

) spanned by a curved band inscribed with the

national motto This article lists state and national mottos for the world's nations. The mottos for some states lacking general international recognition, extinct states, non-sovereign nations, regions, and territories are listed, but their names are not bold ...

('Order and Progress'), within a yellow rhombus, on a green field. It was officially adopted on 19 November 1889, four days after the Proclamation of the Republic, to replace the flag of the

Empire of Brazil The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and Uruguay until the latter achieved independence in 1828. The empire's government was a Representative democracy, representative Par ...

. The concept was the work of Raimundo Teixeira Mendes, with the collaboration of , and Décio Villares. The green field and yellow rhombus from the previous imperial flag were preserved (though slightly modified in hue and shape). In the imperial flag, the green represented the

House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza (), also known as the Brigantine dynasty (''dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas. The hous ...

of Pedro I, the first

Emperor of Brazil The monarchs of Brazil (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''monarcas do Brasil'') were the imperial head of state, heads of state and hereditary rulers of Brazil from the House of Braganza that reigned from the creation of the Brazilian monarchy ...

, while the yellow represented the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...

of his wife, Empress Maria Leopoldina. A blue circle with white

five-pointed star A five-pointed star (☆), geometrically an equilateral concave decagon, is a common ideogram in modern culture. Comparatively rare in classical heraldry, it was notably introduced for the flag of the United States in the Flag Act of 1777 and si ...

s replaced the arms of the Empire of Brazil its position in the flag reflects the sky over the city of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

on 15 November 1889. The motto is derived from

Auguste Comte Isidore Auguste Marie François Xavier Comte (; ; 19 January 1798 – 5 September 1857) was a French philosopher, mathematician and writer who formulated the doctrine of positivism. He is often regarded as the first philosopher of science in the ...

's motto of

positivism Positivism is a philosophical school that holds that all genuine knowledge is either true by definition or positivemeaning '' a posteriori'' facts derived by reason and logic from sensory experience.John J. Macionis, Linda M. Gerber, ''Soci ...

: "''L'amour pour principe et l'ordre pour base; le progrès pour but''" ("Love as a principle and order as the basis; progress as the goal"). Each star, corresponding to a Brazilian Federal Unit, is sized in proportion relative to its geographic size, and, according to Brazilian Law, the flag must be updated in case of the creation or extinction of a state. At the time the flag was first adopted in 1889, it had 21 stars. It then received one more star in 1960 (representing the state of Guanabara), then another in 1968 (representing

Acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

), and finally four more stars in 1992 (representing

Amapá Amapá (; ) is one of the 26 federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil. It is in the North Region, Brazil, North Region of Brazil. It is Federative units of Brazil#List, the second-least populous state and the eighteenth-largest state by area ...

Roraima Roraima ( ) is one of the 26 states of Brazil. Located in the country's North Region, it is the northernmost and most geographically and logistically isolated state in Brazil. It is bordered by the state of Pará to the southeast, Amazonas t ...

Rondônia Rondônia () is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the northern subdivision of the country (central-western part). It is bordered by Acre (state), Acre in the west, Amazonas, Brazil, Amazonas in the north, Mato Grosso in the east, and Bo ...

and

Tocantins Tocantins () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It is the newest state, formed in 1988 and encompassing what had formerly been the northern two-fifths of the state of Goiás. Tocantins covers and had an estimated population of 1,496,880 in 2014 ...

), totaling 27 stars in its current version.

History

Colonial Brazil (1500–1815)

The Portuguese territories in the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

, corresponding roughly to what is now Brazil, never had their own official flag, since Portuguese tradition encouraged hoisting the flag of the

Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal was a Portuguese monarchy, monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also known as the Kingdom of Portugal a ...

in all territories of the

Portuguese Crown This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy and creation of the Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Through the n ...

. The first Brazilian vexillological symbols were private

maritime flag A maritime flag, also called a naval flag, is a flag designated for use on ships, boats, and other watercraft. Naval flags are considered important at sea and the rules and regulations for the flying of flags are strictly enforced. The flag flown ...

s used by Portuguese merchant ships that sailed to Brazil. A flag with green and white stripes was used until 1692. The green and white colors represented the House of Braganza and the national colours of Portugal. In 1692, that flag was no longer used by ships that sailed to Brazil and became the flag of the

merchant vessel A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which a ...

s in coastal Portugal. In 1692, a new flag was introduced for merchant vessels sailing to Brazil. The new flag had a white field with a golden armillary sphere. The armillary sphere had served as the personal emblem of

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate (), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, as monarch. Manu ...

(reigned 1494–1521). During his reign Portuguese ships used it widely, and eventually it became a

national emblem A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag. Other national symbols, such as national ...

of Portugal and, more specifically, of the Portuguese empire. A similar flag was introduced for the Portuguese ships that sailed to India, but with a red armillary sphere. Despite representing the entire Portuguese empire, the armillary sphere began to be used more extensively in Brazil – the largest and most developed colony at the time – not only in maritime flags, but also on coins and other media. It eventually became the unofficial

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

of Brazil.

United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves (1815–1822)

File:Flag of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves (1815-1825).svg, Flag of the

United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves The United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was a pluricontinental monarchy formed by the elevation of the Portuguese colony named State of Brazil to the status of a kingdom and by the simultaneous union of that Kingdom of Brazil ...

(1816–1822) In 1815, Brazil was elevated to the rank of kingdom, and the kingdoms of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and the Algarves were united as a single state – the

. The Charter Act of 1816 established the insignia of the new kingdom. It specified that the

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

of the Kingdom of Brazil was to be composed of a gold armillary sphere on a blue field. During this time, the flag of Brazil was the flag of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves.

Empire of Brazil (1822–1889)

File:Flag of the Kingdom of Brazil (1822).svg, Flag of the independent

Kingdom of Brazil The Kingdom of Brazil () was a constituent kingdom of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. Creation The legal entity of the Kingdom of Brazil was created by a law issued by John VI of Portugal, Prince Regent John of Portu ...

(18 September – 1 December 1822) File:Bandeira_do_Império_do_Brasil_com_nó_e_cores_corretos_versão_com_19_estrelas.png, First flag of the

with 19 stars (1822–1853). On 29 August 1853, Imperial Law No. 704 created the Province of Paraná, resulting in the addition of a 20th star. File:Bandeira_do_Império_do_Brasil_com_nó_e_cores_corretos.png, Second flag of the

with 20 stars (1853–1889) File:A Fundação da Pátria Brasileira (Eduardo Sá, 1899).jpg, ''The Founding of the Brazilian Fatherland'', a 1899 allegorical painting depicting statesman José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, one of the founding fathers of the country, with the imperial flag and Brazil's three major ethnic groups The flag of Brazil was designed by

Jean-Baptiste Debret Jean-Baptiste Debret (; 18 April 1768 – 28 June 1848) was a French Painting, painter, who produced many valuable lithographs depicting the people of Brazil. Debret won the second prize at the 1798 Salon de Paris, Salon des Beaux Arts. Biograph ...

as the

Royal Standard In heraldry and vexillology, a heraldic flag is a flag containing coat of arms, coats of arms, heraldic badges, or other devices used for personal identification. Heraldic flags include banners, standards, pennons and their variants, gonfalons, ...

of the Prince Royal of the

, Pedro I. After the Brazilian Declaration of Independence, and with the coronation of Pedro I as Emperor of Brazil, the Royal Standard was modified to become the flag of the Empire of Brazil. The new flag featured the imperial coat of arms within a yellow rhombus, on a green field. The green and yellow colors represented the dynastic houses of Pedro I and his consort Maria Leopoldina of Austria. The imperial flag was slightly modified during the reign of Pedro II, when an extra star was added to the imperial arms to conform to the new territorial organization of the country.

Republic of Brazil (1889–present)

File:Flag of Brazil 15-19 November.svg, Provisional flag of the Republic of the United States of Brazil (15–19 November 1889) File:Flag of Brazil (1889–1960).svg, File:Flag of Brazil (1960–1968).svg, File:Flag of Brazil (1968–1992).svg, Upon the proclamation of the Republic, one of the civilian leaders of the movement, the jurist Ruy Barbosa, proposed a design for the nation's new flag strongly inspired by the

flag of the United States The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen horizontal Bar (heraldry), stripes, Variation of the field, alternating red and white, with a blue rectangle in the Canton ( ...

. It was flown from 15 to 19 November 1889, when marshal Deodoro da Fonseca (acting as provisional

president of Brazil The president of Brazil (), officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil () or simply the ''President of the Republic'', is the head of state and head of government of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the ...

) vetoed the design, citing concerns that it looked too similar to the flag of another country. Fonseca suggested that the flag of the new republic should resemble the old imperial flag. This was intended to underscore continuity of national unity during the transition from a

constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. ...

to a republic. Raimundo Teixeira Mendes presented a project in which the imperial coat of arms was replaced by a blue

celestial globe Celestial globes show the apparent positions of the stars in the sky. They omit the Sun, Moon, and planets because the positions of these bodies vary relative to those of the stars, but the ecliptic, along which the Sun moves, is indicated. ...

and the positivist motto. It was presented to Fonseca, who promptly accepted. The flag was designed by a group formed by Raimundo Teixeira Mendes, Miguel Lemos, Manuel Pereira Reis and Décio Villares. It was officially adopted on 19 November 1889. The flag has been modified on three occasions to add additional stars intended to reflect newly created states: 1960 (22 stars), 1968 (23 stars) and 1992 (27 stars). In contrast to many other national flags with elements representing political subdivisions, modifications to the flag of Brazil were not always made promptly upon political reorganisation, resulting in multi-year periods of history where there was a mismatch between the number of stars and the number of states and federal districts. The most recent modification was made on 11 May 1992, with the addition of four stars to the celestial globe (representing states created between 1982 and 1991), and a slight change in the stars' positions was made to match the astronomical coordinates correctly.

Design

Decree No. 4, issued on 19 November 1889, legally replaced the flag used under the constitutional monarchy with the new national flag. The last change was held on 11 May 1992, Law No. 8.421, altered the celestial globe with the addition of six stars.

Construction

The precise positions of the 27 stars on the globe make the Brazilian flag one of the most complicated national flags to construct. The official design is defined by Law No. 5,700, issued on 1 September 1971. The flag's

length Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with Dimension (physical quantity), dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a Base unit (measurement), base unit for length is chosen, ...

is twenty modules and the

width Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...

, fourteen, translating into an

aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a geometry, geometric shape is the ratio of its sizes in different dimensions. For example, the aspect ratio of a rectangle is the ratio of its longer side to its shorter side—the ratio of width to height, when the rectangl ...

of 10:7. The distance of the vertices of the yellow rhombus to the outer frame is a module and seven-tenths (1.7 m). The blue circle in the middle of the yellow rhombus has a

radius In classical geometry, a radius (: radii or radiuses) of a circle or sphere is any of the line segments from its Centre (geometry), center to its perimeter, and in more modern usage, it is also their length. The radius of a regular polygon is th ...

of three and a half modules (3.5 m). The center of the arcs of the white band is two modules (2 m) to the left of the meeting point of the extended vertical diameter of the circle with the base of the outer frame. The radius of the lower arc of the white band is eight modules (8m) and the radius of the upper arc of the white band is eight and a half modules (8.5 m). The width of the white band is a half of a module (0.5 m). The caption "Ordem e Progresso" is written in green letters. The letter P lies on the vertical diameter of the circle. The letters of the word "Ordem" and the word "Progresso" are a third of a module (0.33 m) tall. The width of these letters is three-tenths of a module (0.30 m). The conjunction E has a height of three-tenths of a module (0.30 m) and a width of a quarter of a module (0.25 m). The stars are of five different sizes: first, second, third, fourth and fifth magnitudes. They are drawn within circles whose diameters are: three-tenths of a module (0.30 m) for the first magnitude, a quarter of a module (0.25 m) for the second magnitude; a fifth of a module (0.20 m) for the third magnitude, a seventh of a module (0.14 m) for the fourth magnitude, and a tenth of a module (0.10 m) for the fifth magnitude.

Stars

Paulo Araújo Duarte of the

Federal University of Santa Catarina The Federal University of Santa Catarina (, UFSC) is a public university in Florianópolis, the capital city of Santa Catarina (Brazil), Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. Considered one of the leading universities in Brazil, UFSC is the 6th b ...

claims that "the creators of our republican flag intended to represent the stars in the sky at Rio de Janeiro at 8:30 in the morning on 15 November 1889, the moment at which the constellation of the Southern Cross was on the meridian of Rio de Janeiro and the longer arm f the crosswas vertical". Another article, citing "O Céu da Bandeira (The Sky of the Flag)", by J. R. V. Costa, says the exact time was actually 08:37. This last article includes the flag's designer's explanation of his intentions regarding the stars. According to Brazil'
national act number 5,700
of 1 September 1971, the flag portrays the stars as they would be seen by an imaginary observer an infinite distance above Rio de Janeiro standing outside the firmament in which the stars are meant to be placed (i.e. as found on a

). Thus Beta Crucis appears to the right of the constellation and Delta Crucis to the left, in mirror image of the way they actually appear in the sky (and, coincidentally, the way they appear on the Brazilian coat of arms). The star

Spica Spica is the brightest object in the constellation of Virgo and one of the 20 brightest stars in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation α Virginis, which is Latinised to Alpha Virginis and abbreviated Alpha Vir or α Vir. Analys ...

is the only one above the white band; it symbolises part of Brazilian territory in the northern hemisphere (and the State of

Pará Pará () is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian st ...

). The Sigma Octantis (south pole star) is small, but all the other stars turn around it. Its unique position in the sky of the southern hemisphere represents the stability of the Federal District in the Brazilian union. The shining star in constellation represent the size of territory of the state in the Brazilian region (constellation). The flag of Brazil contains 27 stars, representing the

Brazilian states The federative units of Brazil () are subnational entities with a certain degree of autonomy (self-government, self-regulation, and self-collection) and endowed with their own government and constitution, which together form the Federative Repu ...

and the

Federal District A federal district is a specific administrative division in one of various federations. These districts may be under the direct jurisdiction of a federation's national government, as in the case of federal territory (e.g., India, Malaysia), or the ...

. The

constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The first constellati ...

of the

is on the

meridian Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to Science * Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon * ...

(indicated by the number 6 in the diagram). To the south of it is Polaris Australis (

Sigma Octantis Sigma Octantis is a solitary star in the Octans constellation that forms the pole star of the Southern Hemisphere. Its name is also written as σ Octantis, abbreviated as Sigma Oct or σ Oct, and it is officially named Polaris Australis ...

, numbered 7), representing the

. A single star lies above the band, representing the large northern state of Pará, which straddles the

equator The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...

. The band with its motto appears roughly coincident with the

ecliptic The ecliptic or ecliptic plane is the orbital plane of Earth's orbit, Earth around the Sun. It was a central concept in a number of ancient sciences, providing the framework for key measurements in astronomy, astrology and calendar-making. Fr ...

, as in the

armillary An armillary sphere (variations are known as spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of objects in the sky (on the celestial sphere), consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centered on Earth or the Sun, that represent lines of ...

symbol of

and

colonial Brazil Colonial Brazil (), sometimes referred to as Portuguese America, comprises the period from 1500, with the Discovery of Brazil, arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to a United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves ...

, or otherwise the

celestial equator The celestial equator is the great circle of the imaginary celestial sphere on the same plane as the equator of Earth. By extension, it is also a plane of reference in the equatorial coordinate system. Due to Earth's axial tilt, the celestial ...

, while none of the stars symbolized lie north of these lines. Some interpretations of the band also identify it with the Amazon River.

Stars and states

The stars depicted on the flag and the states they represent are: * Brazil's original Federal District was created in 1889 from the former

Neutral Municipality The Neutral Municipality (), more formally known in the imperial era as the Neutral Municipality of the Court (), was an administrative unit created in the Empire of Brazil, that existed in the territory corresponding to the current location of ...

covering the then-capital city of

, and represented on the flag by the star Sigma Octantis (Polaris Australis). In 1960, to correspond with the creation of the new capital,

Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...

, the Federal District was reconstituted on new territory carved out of the state of Goiás, bordering the Minas Gerais state; it continued to be represented on the flag by Sigma Octantis. The former Federal District became the new state of Guanabara and a new star, Alphard, was added to the flag to represent it. Guanabara was eliminated as a separate state in 1975; however, Alphard was not removed from the flag and from 1975 to 1979 it represented no state. When the new state of Mato Grosso do Sul was created in 1979, it was assigned Alphard.

Colours

The specific shades of colors used in the flag are not specified in any legal document. The values listed below can be found in the files available for download from the Brazilian government website:

Proposed design alterations

In 2021, the movement "Amor na Bandeira" (in English, ''Love in the Flag'') proposed to update the flag's motto from "Ordem e Progresso" to "Amor, Ordem e Progresso" (''Love, Order and Progress''), in allusion to the motto of positivism "''L'amour pour principe et l'ordre pour base; le progrès pour but''" (''Love as a principle and order as the basis; progress as the goal''), formulated by the French philosopher Augusto Comte, which inspired the original motto in the flag. One of the main proponents of the movement was the politician

Eduardo Suplicy Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy (born 21 June 1941) is a Brazilian left-wing politician, economist and professor. He is one of the founders and main political figures on the Workers Party of Brazil (PT). In the municipal elections of São Paulo in ...

, who had previously supported bill PL 2179/2003 by Deputy

Chico Alencar Francisco Rodrigues de Alencar Filho, known as Chico Alencar (born 19 October 1949), is a Brazilian politician, historian, and writer, affiliated with the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL). Alencar was first elected as a Councillor, representi ...

, which had the same goal. That 2003 bill also aimed to change the expression on the Brazilian flag to Love, Order and Progress.

Flag protocol

Federal Law Federal law is the body of law created by the federal government of a country. A federal government is formed when a country has a central government as well as regional governments, such as subnational states or provinces, each with constituti ...

No. 5,700, issued on 1 September 1971, defines the

flag protocol A flag protocol (or flag code) is a set of rules and regulations for the display of flags within a country, including national, subnational, and foreign flags. Generally, flag protocols call for the national flag to be the most prominent flag (i. ...

in Brazil.Lei no. 5,700 de 1 de Setembro de 1971
Presidência da República. Retrieved on 9 October 2010. . The flag must be permanently hoisted at the

Praça dos Três Poderes Praça dos Três Poderes () or Three Powers Plaza (more idiomatically ''Three Branches Plaza'') is a plaza in Brasília, the capital of Brazil. The name is derived from the presence of the three branches of government around the plaza: the Exec ...

. The flag must be raised and lowered daily at the presidential palaces (

Palácio do Planalto The Palácio do Brazilian Highlands, Planalto () in Brasília is the official workplace of the president of Brazil.

and

Palácio da Alvorada The Palácio da Alvorada () is the official residence of the president of Brazil. It is located in the national capital of Brasília, on a peninsula at the margins of Paranoá Lake. The building was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and built betwee ...

);

ministries Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...

;

National Congress National Congress is a term used in the names of various political parties and legislatures. Political parties *Ethiopia: Oromo National Congress, original name of the Oromo People's Congress *Guyana: People's National Congress Reform *India: **In ...

; Supreme Federal Tribunal; Supreme Court of Justice;

seats A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...

of the

Executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

Legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...

and

Judicial The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

branches;

diplomatic missions A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually denotes ...

; Federal, state and local institutions; and merchant navy units. When a flag is no longer fit to use, it must be delivered to a military facility to be burned during a special ceremony on 19 November ("Flag Day"). The flag must be flown at

half-staff Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a sal ...

when the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

decrees official mourning. In addition,

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

and

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

s may decree official mourning with the death of a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

. When the flag is displayed at half-staff, prior to raising or lowering it, the flag must be raised to the top of the

flagpole A flagpole, flagmast, flagstaff, or staff is a pole designed to support a flag. If it is taller than can be easily reached to raise the flag, a cord is used, looping around a pulley at the top of the pole with the ends tied at the bottom. The fla ...

and then lowered to the halfway mark. When the flag is being carried in

procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

, a black crape ribbon must be tied to the top of the mast. A foreign flag may only be flown with a Brazilian Flag along its right side. The only exceptions are when the foreign flag is displayed in an

embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a Sovereign state, state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase ...

consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a ...

and in prize-giving ceremonies of sport competitions won by foreign athletes. When multiple flags are raised or lowered simultaneously, the Brazilian Flag must be the first to reach the top of the flagpole and the last to reach the bottom.

Folding

Flag anthem

The Brazilian Flag Anthem (''Hino à Bandeira Nacional'') is a

song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

dedicated to the country's flag. It is performed on 19 November (Flag Day). The Portuguese lyrics were written by poet

Olavo Bilac Olavo Brás Martins dos Guimarães Bilac (16 December 1865 – 28 December 1918), known simply as Olavo Bilac (), was a Brazilian Parnassian poet, journalist and translator. Alongside Alberto de Oliveira and Raimundo Correia, he was a member ...

, and the music composed by Francisco Braga.

Other flags

Governmental flags

The

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

and

vice president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

are also represented by their own flag. The is a dark green rectangle (ratio 2:3) holding the

national coat of arms A national coat of arms is a symbol which denotes an independent state in the form of a heraldic achievement. While a national flag is usually used by the population at large and is flown outside and on ships, a national coat of arms is normally co ...

on its center. It is usually hoisted at the President's official residence, the

, and at the President's workplace, the

Palácio do Planalto The Palácio do Brazilian Highlands, Planalto () in Brasília is the official workplace of the president of Brazil.

. It is also displayed on the presidential car, as small-sized flags. The is a yellow rectangle (ratio 2:3) with twenty-three blue stars disposed in a cross dividing the flag into four equal quadrants, with the coat of arms in the middle of the upper left quadrant.

Military flags

Some of the branches of the Brazilian military also have their own flags. File:Flag of the Brazilian Army.svg, alt=The flag of the Brazilian Army, Brazilian Army (since 1987) File:Flag of the Brazilian Air Force Command.svg, alt=The flag of the Brazilian Aeronautics Command, Brazilian Air Force (de facto flag, since 1999) File:Flag of the Brazilian Navy.svg, alt=The flag of the Brazilian Navy, Brazilian Navy flag File:Rank flag of Tenente-brigadeiro of Brazilian Air Force.svg, alt=The flag of a Brazilian air force general, Brazilian air force general flag File:Bandeira_do_Almirante-de-Esquadra.svg, alt=The flag of a Brazilian naval admiral, Brazilian naval admiral flag File:Bandeira-Insignia do Chefe do Estado-Maior Conjunto das Forças Armadas (Brasil).svg, Flag-insignia of the chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Brazilian Armed Forces.

=Naval jack

= The Brazilian

naval jack A jack is a flag flown from a short jackstaff at the bow (front) of a vessel, while the ensign is flown on the stern (rear). Jacks on bowsprits or foremasts appeared in the 17th century. A country may have different jacks for different pu ...

(''jaque'') is a rectangular flag (ratio 3:4) bearing 21 white stars on a dark blue field – a horizontal row of 13 and a vertical column of 9, orthogonally displayed. Bandeira do Cruzeiro.svg, Naval jack.

Previous flags

The list below identifies previous flags used in Brazil. File:Flag of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves (1815-1825).svg, Flag of the

(1816–1822) File:Flag of the Kingdom of Brazil (1822).svg, Flag of the Brazilian Kingdom (18 September – 1 December 1822) File:Flag of Brazil (1822-1853).svg, Flag of the Empire of Brazil, first version (1 December 1822 – 29 August 1853) File:Bandeira_do_Império_do_Brasil_com_nó_e_cores_corretos.png, Flag of the Empire of Brazil, second version (30 August 1853 – 15 November 1889) File:Flag of Brazil 15-19 November.svg, Provisional Flag of Republic of the United States of Brazil (15 – 19 November 1889) File:Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg, First Flag of the United States of Brazil (19 November 1889 - present)

Rejected flags

The best-known rejected flags are listed below. Several projects were heavily inspired by the green-yellow Imperial Flag, while a black-white-red pattern was also proposed. Those colours would represent the major groups of Brazilian population, red being the natives, white the European settlers and immigrants and black the Africans.MARTIUS, p. 381 File:Flag-lopes-trovão.svg, Project of

Lopes Trovão José Lopes da Silva Trovão, better known as Lopes Trovão (May 23, 1848 – July 17, 1925), was a Brazilian medical doctor, journalist, and politician. He was the son of Portuguese diplomats José Maria dos Reis Lopes Trovão and Maria Jacinta ...

, 1888. It was raised, when the Republic took place, but has been changed by the similar proposal of Ruy Barbosa. File:Flag of Brazil (Julio Ribeiro's proposal).svg, Project of Júlio Ribeiro, 1888. Eventually became the flag of the

State of São Paulo State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

with the addition of

on the map Flag of Brazil (Deodoro_project).png, Project of Deodoro da Fonseca, 1889 File:Flag of Brazil (Silva Jardim's proposal).svg, Project of

Antônio da Silva Jardim Antônio da Silva Jardim (18 August 1860 — 1 July 1891) was a Brazilian lawyer and journalist. He was a political activist in the abolitionist and republican movements, particularly in Rio de Janeiro state. Early life He was born in Vila de No ...

, 1890 File:Flag_of_Brazil_(Baron_of_Rio_Branco's_proposal).svg, Project of José Maria da Silva Paranhos, Jr., 1890 File:Flag of Brazil (Valadão project).svg, Project of Oliveira Valadão, 1892 File:Flag of Brazil (Eurico de Góis' proposal, 1908).svg, Project of Eurico de Góis, 1908 File:Flag of Brazil (Wenceslau Escobar's proposal).svg, Project of Wenceslau Escobar, 1908 File:Flag of Brazil (Eurico de Goís' proposal, 1933).svg, Second project of Eurico de Góis, 1933

References

External links

* *
Bandeira Nacional
at the Brazilian Government
Bandeira - Insígnia
at the Brazilian Government *
Brazil
at Flags Corner {{nationalflags

Flags with circles

National symbols of Brazil Quadcolor flags B